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Raiders notebook: Free agent cornerback Terence Newman, formerly of the Cowboys and Bengals, to work out for team.

By Jerry McDonald jmcdonald@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted:
03/14/2013 06:56:24 PM PDT

Updated:
03/14/2013 08:38:32 PM PDT

A year after gambling on aging cornerbacks and getting burned, the Raiders entertained 34-year-old Terence Newman on Thursday, according to a Comcast SportsNet Bay Area report.

A veteran of 148 games and 146 starts, Newman had a solid season for the Cincinnati Bengals last season. He had spent the previous nine years with the Dallas Cowboys, who drafted him in the first round in 2003.

Last season, the Raiders signed 30-year-old cornerbacks Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer in free agency. That pair opened the season as starters, but Bartell had his season derailed by a broken scapula and Spencer was sidelined by a foot sprain. Bartell was released late last season, and Spencer is a free agent, as is cornerback Joselio Hanson.

Cornerbacks currently on the Oakland roster include Phillip Adams, Coye Francies, Brandian Ross and converted running back Taiwan Jones.

Cornerbacks started falling off the board Thursday. Former Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was released by the Eagles.

Newman, who turns 35 on Sept. 4, had two interceptions and 10 passes defensed for the Bengals last season. His 75 tackles were the most since his rookie season in Dallas.

ESPN reported that defensive tackle Corey Williams, 32, was also visiting Oakland. Williams, who played for Detroit last season, was a sixth-round draft pick by Green Bay in 2004, when Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was in the personnel department.

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Williams (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) made $4.9 million with the Lions last season but was deemed expendable because of the presence of a pair of first-round draft picks at the position -- Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.

The Raiders were one of 29 teams with a representative at the workout of West Virginia players on Thursday.

That fuels speculation that the Raiders are considering West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith with the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft late next month.

Smith is regarded as the top quarterback prospect in this year's draft.

The Raiders have Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor under contract.

Smith completed 71.2 percent of his passes for 4,205 yards and 42 touchdowns, while being intercepted only six times in 518 pass attempts.

Defensive end Matt Shaughnessy, a 16-game starter for the Raiders last season, is scheduled to visit with Arizona and then possibly Tennessee and Philadelphia, ESPN reported.

Shaughnessy had 3﻿1/2 sacks for the Raiders last season after missing almost all of 2011 with a shoulder injury that required surgery.